From PDF converters to BMW in-car subscriptions, recurring products have revolutionized the way businesses interact with consumers. But as competition grows, achieving sustainable growth has become increasingly complex and critical.

During Subscription Lifecycle Growth in 2025, an event in partnership with Adyen, industry leaders shared their strategies for tackling key challenges while staying ahead of market trends: 

  • Avi Sharma, Senior Product Manager (Growth) at Codecademy

  • Shaheen Shaah, Product Leader, Payments & Monetization at LinkedIn

  • Dmitriy Yakubov, Head of North America Strategic Partnerships at Adyen

  • Dylan Hoeffler, VP of Product Marketing at Recurly

Check out the event on-demand, or keep reading to get the highlights. 

The challenges of optimizing the consumer lifecycle

Every subscription business knows it—acquiring subscribers isn’t enough. The real challenge lies in retaining them and ensuring each stage of the lifecycle contributes to their long-term growth.

LinkedIn knows that optimizing for immediate sign-ups doesn't ensure retention. To address this, the company has experimented to identify the acquisition strategies that also support long-term renewal.

Codecademy focuses on delivering value in early stages. From the moment users create a free account, they’re guided through an onboarding experience that recommends resources tailored specifically to their goals with the platform.  

The common denominator? Tracking the right metrics. From initial signup to sustained engagement, the panelists highlighted the importance of data when optimizing their strategies.

The power of cross-functional collaboration

Subscription success is a company-wide effort. Coordinating teams and sharing accountability is essential to creating a seamless customer experience.  

For Codecademy, coordination means aligning all teams on a shared set of metrics, ranging from account creation to conversion and retention. Frequent cross-team touchpoints and transparent dashboards ensure everyone is focused on the same outcome, enabling quick reactions to changes.  

On the other hand, Shaah shares how LinkedIn has embraced partnerships to bundle offerings and reinforce their value proposition. By sharing KPIs across teams, they’ve boosted accountability and enhanced acquisition and retention strategies.  

Lastly, Yakubov iterates on the importance of maximizing the benefits of the product and how having the right infrastructure is key when delivering value.

The right approach to voluntary and involuntary churn

Churn is a reality for all subscription businesses, and tackling it requires businesses to be both proactive and responsive. 

LinkedIn, for example, uses advanced tools like account updaters to ensure payment information stays up-to-date. Machine learning helps them route payment attempts to processors most likely to approve them, all while a 30-day grace period ensures minimal service interruption during failed payment recovery.  

Codecademy fine-tunes their approach by identifying specific reasons behind churn, whether they’re external (e.g., card issues) or internal (e.g., unclear product value). They’ve implemented  smart dunning cycles and thoughtful reminders across channels to encourage users to update their payment details.

Referring to voluntary churn,  Adyen’s data shows that customers stay loyal when they perceive value tailored to their specific needs, making personalization a core strategy to sustain engagement effectively. 

The strategies to improve engagement

Keeping customers engaged is critical for staying competitive, increasing loyalty and retention—and our panelists know it well. Yakubov reinforces why creating personalized experiences should meet the unique needs of subscribers. 

LinkedIn continues evolving its services by introducing AI-powered features that strengthen the distinction between free and paid memberships. Even during cancellation, they share personalized usage data to remind customers of the value they’d be giving up if they suspend the service. 

Furthermore, Sharma explains how Codecademy motivates subscribers with gamified experiences like progress rewards and leaderboards. They also send email reminders to help users stay on track with goals, further reinforcing the perceived value of their platform. 

The challenges of navigating global expansion

The growth potential of new markets comes with its own set of hurdles. From regulations to consumer preferences, expanding globally demands flexibility and foresight.  

Adyen understands the importance of allowing subscribers  to pay how they want. By offering local payment methods like digital wallets and dynamic pricing, they ensure frictionless checkout experiences while stabilizing their global footprint.  

LinkedIn emphasizes the need for regional nuance,understanding each market stage, and customizing brand efforts accordingly—from localized pricing to navigating regulations. Codecademy  targets specific key markets as well, localizing pricing and keeping an eye on taxes constantly to build trust before scaling further. 

The trends that are reshaping the industry

Our experts all agreed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the market, no matter your industry:

  • Codecademy is integrating AI into their personalization flow to recommend targeted features and content to enhance the  learning experience. 

  • LinkedIn is leveraging AI for upselling, offering dynamic payment methods, and routing transactions to maximize approval rates. 

  • Adyen is leading the way in innovating payment processes for seamless transactions— from improving authorization rates to reducing fraud risks.

As competition heats up, subscription businesses must prioritize consumer lifecycle engagement and tailoring their strategies to meet market-specific needs. Leveraging technologies like AI and data analytics will help you deliver better value and experiences to subscribers.  

Want to get even more insights? The 2025 State of Subscriptions report is launching on January 16th. Join the waitlist to get your copy before anyone else.